Crawl spaces are rarely, if ever, visited. The unclean, unsightly, and difficult-to-manage subterranean region beneath the house has a terrible reputation. Much of this notoriety stems from the way the space was treated. Your crawl space will always be clean and dry, thanks to a well-designed encapsulation system. A functional crawl space entrance and access well cover are part of this outstanding design.
For more information on crawl space encapsulation, you can watch this video.
A crawl space is like having an extra room in your home that you don’t use. We all know we should be storing things in our crawl spaces, but getting everything down there and back up is difficult. Also, it’s not much fun crawling about on your hands and knees. HydroHelp911 overcomes this problem by creating a well-access pit, which allows you to carry objects into and out of the crawl space without having to crawl on your hands and knees! The HydroHelp911 service is the best in the industry. We’ve been installing crawl space access wells for many years, and we’re ready to assist you with yours right now!
What is a Crawl Space Well?
Crawl space access wells are often unsightly holes that are seen as a property’s necessary evil. They’re usually made of concrete, wood, or metal. Leaves, plants, and rubbish will gradually fill these wells.
Crawl Space Access Well Installation
Do not try to install a crawl space access well on your own. If the job isn’t done correctly, your home or company may suffer structural damage and water leaks. You’ll need an experienced installer with the required skills and equipment to properly install a crawl space access well. A properly working crawl space access well can save you money in the long run by preventing severe structural damage and costly repairs. In addition, we offer speedy response times and low pricing at HydroHelp911, so all you have to worry about is getting back into your home safely.
Why hire HydroHelp911 for Crawl Space Access Well installation?
- The technicians at HydroHelp911 are skilled enough to make it easy to install a crawl space access well for any structure.
- The crawl space access installed can be used for storage, plumbing, or even an emergency exit.
- We provide the most cost-effective, crawl space access well installation solutions.
- The installation is quick and straightforward with our flexible and durable designs.
Crawl Space Access Well Covers
Crawl space access wells are usually unsightly, unappealing holes viewed as a necessary evil in constructing a house or structure. They’re made of concrete, wood, or even metal the bulk of the time.
As time passes, these wells will become blocked with leaves, plants, and other debris. Then, when it rains or snows, the wood decays, the metal will rust, and the water will fill the crawl space, turning it into a flooded mess.
We will install covered crawl space access wells to prevent water from seeping into your crawl space and will not rust, rot, or corrode over time.
Crawl Space Access Well Size
The size of the access holes in the floor must be at least 18 inches by 24 inches. The dimensions of the open spaces between perimeter walls must be at least 16 inches by 24 inches. An area-way of at least 16 by 24 inches must be constructed if any section of the through-wall access is below grade. The edge of the area-bottom route must be lower than the access hole’s threshold.
Mold and mildew thrive in the confines of a crawl space. That means if you don’t take care of your crawl space now, you’ll end up in many difficulties later. For years, our crew has been installing access wells, and we can help you as well!
A crawl space with a smaller opening won’t work as well, but if you’re having trouble with little critters getting in via the larger space, we can put some shelter up against it.
Advantages of a Large Crawl Space Access
Bigger is better when it comes to crawl spaces. A crawl space that is at least 18″ tall and 25″ wide is recommended by most professional contractors for four reasons:
- More ventilation implies less wet air inside your home when you have enough open space.
- Mosquitoes and fire ants are known to enter apertures cut too small on purpose to gain access to dwellings more easily than taller or broader crawl spaces would allow.
- If you have a sump pump installed, it can help drainage around your foundation walls and prevent flooding during heavy rains or snowmelt.
- You might be able to transfer plumbing lines using available cavities as utility spaces that run into or out of your basement if you have a larger entrance.
Crawl Space Access Door vs. Access Well Cover
To begin, we must distinguish between an access door, access well, and access well cover. An access door is typically a side-of-the-house entrance that enables access to the crawl area. A below-grade area around the door is known as access well. A well cover for the access well is exactly what it sounds like. It protects the access well from material such as leaves and twigs, and water when it rains. The left side will function as a door, while the right side serves as a protective covering. Various doors integrate these diverse capabilities, which we’ll describe here.
Exterior Crawl Space Door
An exterior crawl space door is often used to access the crawl space from outside a house. However, installing an outdoor crawl space door is not advisable since it usually offers considerable safety risks. This entryway is most frequent in mobile homes, with an underground space solely used for storage. Still, it is also popular among homeowners who wish to optimize their vertical living area.
Interior Crawl Space Door
The interior crawl space door is a stair or an adjustable frame attached to rod brackets put into the foundation or floor. The joist nearest to the door opens parallel to the joists and supports it. This sort of door gives you direct access to your crawl space from inside your house, making it reasonable to grow in and out and reducing the danger of dirt tracked into your house. They also provide some protection against tiny animals like rats, bugs, spiders, and snakes from entering your home through this ground-level aperture without passing through any other parts of the house before coming into touch with you.
Types of Crawl Space Doors
Wood Doors
Plywood is used to make a lot of crawl space doors. Wooden doors have the advantage of being easily trimmed to size, although not being as sturdy as metal or plastic doors. This enables the installation of a tightly sealed door. If your crawl space door is made of wood, we recommend painting it to help protect it against decay caused by moisture exposure. With green wood, it is imperative that you allow enough time for it to dry completely before painting it.
Metal Doors
Metal doors don’t deteriorate as easily or as quickly as wood doors, but they do rust. They’re also more difficult to cut to size and, as a result, don’t always provide as good of a seal.
Plastic
Of the three materials, Plastic is the most resistant to the elements, but it is also the most expensive. When it rains and snows, it will not decay or rust.
About HydroHelp911
When it comes to services such as Crawl Space Encapsulation, Basement Waterproofing, Crawl Space Repair, Foundation Repair, Termite Damage Repair & Mold Removal – HydroHelp911 is the name residents of North Carolina always rely upon.
How big does a crawl space access have to be?
The crawl space must be given through openings no smaller than 18 x 24 inches on the floor or 16 x 24 inches in the crawl space perimeter walls.
How often should you check your crawl space?
What is included in the code requirements for a crawl space?
According to building rules, outside ventilation is required in the gap between the bottom of the floor joists and ground that is not a basement. Therefore, all crawl space walls should have vents. Every crawl space that measures up to 500 square feet should supply at least 1 square foot of vent space.
Should crawl space vents be closed or opened in winter?
In the winter, open the crawl vents to allow warm moist air to naturally escape to the colder, drier outside environment, reducing humidity. In the summer, cover the vents to keep the hot and humid air outside and the more relaxed and drier air in the crawl space.
